Whiptail

Description

A whiptail is a bipedal reptile slightly smaller than a man in height, but up to twelve feet in length. Built almost like a snake with long, agile, legs, it is a fast and maneuverable beast which can maintain great speed… for a time. When well fed and rested, it can burn through reserves of energy to keep it moving at top speed for hours, but it must then spend a good deal of time recovering. Whiptails are the favored mounts of messengers and scouts, especially if there’s a network of safehouses and fortresses where replacements can be found. Whiptail riders must travel light, as the creatures are not overly strong, and often the riders are young teens, such as orphans who have joined military or mercenary units.

(Those interested in some of the reasoning behind this critter, and the background on the world setting it’s part of, might wish to look at this essay.)